Introducing Blockchain

Blockchain and Bitcoins are becoming mainstream. Many people believe cryptocurrency is the next gold rush, investing in projects without truly understanding how they work.

In this course, you will gain an understanding of Blockchain, the technology behind Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. You will also learn how Bitcoins and cryptocurrencies are used today; how you can get involved in currency mining, purchasing, and trading your own currency. Lastly, we will take a look at the future of Blockchain, how it is being used today in other financial medical, health, and consumer markets. Get ready to drink from the firehouse with this 2-hour in-depth introduction to Blockchain and Bitcoin

Enthusiasm and desire to learn about currency (basic economics) and computer hardware

Common Misunderstandings
- Crypto Currency is not legitimate currency and is considered illegal
- Blockchain and Crypto provide anonymity for criminals
- Blockchain and Crypto Currency have limited futures and are a “fad”

About your instructor

Aamir Lakhani is a leading senior security strategist. He is responsible for providing IT security solutions to major enterprises and government organizations.

Mr. Lakhani creates technical security strategies and leads security implementation projects for Fortune 500 companies. Industries of focus include healthcare providers, educational institutions, financial institutions and government organizations. Aamir has designed offensive counter-defense measures for the Department of Defense and national intelligence agencies. He has also assisted organizations with safeguarding IT and physical environments from attacks perpetrated by underground cybercriminal groups. Mr. Lakhani is considered an industry leader for creating detailed security architectures within complex computing environments. His areas of expertise include cyber defense, mobile application threats, malware management, Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) research, and investigations relating to the Internet’s dark security movement. He is the author or contributor of several books, and has appeared on FOX Business News, National Public Radio, and other media outlets as an expert on cybersecurity.

Writing under the pseudonym Dr. Chaos, Mr. Lakhani also operates the popular security social media blog which is hosted at DrChaos.com. In its recent list of 46 Federal Technology Experts to Follow on Twitter, Forbes magazine described Aamir Lakhani as “a blogger, InfoSec specialist, super hero…and all around good guy.”

Schedule

The timeframes are only estimates and may vary according to how the class is progressing

Segment 1: A Brief History of Money and the Creation of Bitcoin (50 minutes)
- The instructor will present the course, go thru demos, show applications. Time will be set aside for Q&A, and a goal assignment will be given to students that they can attempt on their own.
- You will understand the reasoning behind why Bitcoins were created, how to mine for Bitcoins, and the current limitations and frustration with Bitcoin

Q&A (10 minutes)

Break (15 minutes)

Segment 2: Understanding the Blockchain and Crypto Currency (50 minutes)
- The instructor will provide a deep understanding of Blockchain technologies, present material, and walk participants thru exercises to help them understand the math behind Blockchain. Additionally, a deep understanding of cryptocurrency will be presented.
- You will:
- Understand how Blockchains work, and how cryptocurrency utilizes Blockchain technologies.
- Gain an understanding of the major types of cryptocurrencies.
- Understand how they can purchase, mine, and trade their own cryptocurrencies.
- Understand how to use cryptocurrency to buy goods and services and exchange it for fiat currency.
- Learn about the security risks and other vulnerabilities around major cryptocurrencies.